By: RK Service

When organizations plan their facilities maintenance budgets, drain cleaning and maintenance is often overlooked as most funds are allocated to HVAC, climate control and general plumbing.

For many businesses, once or twice a year is an acceptable schedule for drain maintenance. But for businesses that pass a lot of water or liquids on their floors, or for restaurants whose drains capture grease, drain maintenance is best performed quarterly because clean drains will help reduce the severity of future back-ups.

When too much stuff gets inserted down drains, they will back-up – this is an issue that can’t always be prevented in advance. However, planned maintenance CAN keep drains more clear and open year-round, helping them to pass more stuff through that could have otherwise caused a back-up.

Key components of a planned maintenance program for your drains.

1. Get on a planned maintenance agreement to reduce issues:
   Organizations typically don’t know they have a drain problem until a drain is already backed up. While no company can prevent all back-ups, regular annual to quarterly drain maintenance will help keep lines clear to reduce the frequency or severity of back-ups.
2. Restaurants: Schedule drain cleaning when you have grease traps pumped:
   Many restaurants have a maintenance agreement to have their grease traps pumped. This is an excellent time to remember to have your drains inspected and cleaned out too. Schedule a concurrent maintenance agreement for planned drain cleaning and get both done at the same time.
3. Only hire a firm that’s capable of resolving the core issues:
   Lots of plumbing companies will clean out a drain, but they may not be able or willing to carefully inspect your drain systems to uncover and resolve the root causes of repeated problems. For example, our technicians are trained to use video cameras for line locates and to view lines for obstructions, corrosion or other issues. Then we can work toward improving the entire drain system.
4. Find a firm with multiple capabilities so they can treat your facility holistically:
   Drain issues can uncover the need for more extensive plumbing or excavation work. RK Service offers a wide variety of services, including excavation, HVAC and more. If your drain issues point to other areas that need to be serviced, we can service them all with an intimate knowledge of all aspects of your facility and equipment.
5. Why is planned maintenance important in addition to repairs as-needed?
   Outsourcing drain cleaning and annual to quarterly planned maintenance calls can ensure that maintenance occurs on regular schedule and is conducted in a thorough manner, and also helps drains function optimally to help avoid or reduce back-ups and other issues.

Questions? Contact RK Service at service@rkindustries.com – We can answer any questions about your facility, drains and what steps you may need to take to improve their performance.